New Report on Indian Solar PV Industry

Photonics.comMay 2010
May. 18, 2010 — While on solar photovoltaics, I'd like to draw your attention to a new report on the Indian solar photovoltaic industry, courtesy, the India Semiconductor Association (ISA).

The report, titled “Solar PV Industry 2010: Contemporary Scenario and Emerging Trends,” has the support of the Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA). The report was released in New Delhi by Dr. R. Chidambaram, of the government of India, along with Prof. Juzer Vasi, IIT Bombay and Head Core Committee, and BV Naidu, advisor for the ISA.

The ISA has kindly sent me a copy of the report, and I hope to write about it sometime later.

The report's executive summary states: Solar photovoltaic is a key technology option to realize the shift to a decarbonized energy supply and is projected to emerge as an attractive alternate electricity source in the future.

The solar PV manufacturing base in India comprises primarily of cell and module manufacturing; with the bulk of the value addition taking place outside the country. The current scale of manufacturing in India is small in comparison to global standards.

The capacity in India is currently estimated in excess of about 400 MW for cells and about 1,000 MW for modules. Based on the interactions with the industry, the capacity of PV cells and modules in India is estimated to cross 750 MW and 1250 MW by the end of year 2010. The production in India for year 2008–2009 is estimated at 175 MW of cells and 240 MW of modules. A large proportion of the production was exported.

Solar energy is an important mitigating technology in the context of the climate change threat. The Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission is an important component of the National Action Plan on Climate Change.

The report has captured the following points – status of the global PV industry- with a focus on Europe, the US, China, S. Korea, Japan and Taiwan; status of the Indian solar PV industry including its strengths and challenges; and the various initiatives undertaken by the government of India' to promote this industry, including a detailed discussion on the recently announced National Solar Mission.